Five experiences to have in Patagonia

Vertiginous snow-dusted peaks. Yawning arid steppe. Enormous icy glaciers. Patagonia is a place where the only things bigger than your imagination are the landscapes themselves.

It’s a land of superlatives where Mother Nature’s paintbrush has enjoyed its finest hour. It’s no surprise, then, that a Patagonia holiday tops many travellers’ bucket lists. Our Southern Patagonia Experience itinerary not only affords you the chance to see its big-ticket sights but really experience them, too. Here are five ways we’ll help immerse you in the great Patagonian outdoors.

1. Tread the Tierra del Fuego

Before you dive straight into Patagonia’s widescreen vistas, we’ll help you acclimatise to the Argentine way of life in its dynamic capital Buenos Aires. You won’t be a mere bystander here – we’ll get you right in the thick of it, soaking up the city’s two loves: dancing and food. Follow up a night at a tango show with a local gastronomy tour, where you’ll try the country’s famed barbecued beef and wines, among other favourite delicacies.

With your belly full and energy levels high it’s time to tackle the Tierra del Fuego National Park on foot, a rugged archipelago whose end-of-the-world aura has inspired legendary explorers like Charles Darwin and Bruce Chatwin. It’s only right you experience this landscape just as intimately as them on your Argentina holiday, so we’ll only ever ensure you’re in a small group. You can then concentrate on gasping in awe at its jade-hued forests fringing the Beagle Channel, lofty peaks and barren tundra – just as it should be.

2. See Land’s End, Argentine style

You’ve followed in the footsteps of legendary explorers, now we’ll help you trace their wake aboard an Australis cruise. Even in such a remote part of the world, waterways like the Beagle Channel and the Straits of Magellan feel familiar and that’s thanks to the likes of Ferdinand Magellan and Darwin. You’ll pass the same snow-speckled peaks and rugged shores as they did, as well as navigating the legendary waters of Cape Horn. Disembark at its namesake island to unravel the history behind this fabled region, before climbing the island’s wooded slopes for a glorious panorama of the last piece of land before Antarctica.

3. Spy gigantic glaciers

Patagonia is well known for its iconic glaciers and with our pledge to give you an all-compassing exploration of the destinations you visit, you’ll visit not one, not two, but five glaciers on your trip with us. Hop off at several points along your Australis cruise for close-up encounters of the Pia, Águila, Garibaldi and Condor glaciers, with the latter affording you the chance to spy its namesake birds soaring above your head.

However, we’ll take you even closer than that, with a guided walk on Perito Moreno Glacier itself – one of Argentina’s most otherworldly landmarks. Hike past toothpaste-blue ice formations, small lagoons and gullies while you’re taught more about the unique flora and fauna here by your guide.

4. Come nose-to-beak with penguins

The landscapes in Patagonia are incredible, but its wildlife is pretty special, too. Nowhere is this more the case than at Magdalena Island, home to a huge colony of Magellanic penguins. The island is another pit stop on your Australis cruise and a short glide in a Zodiac boat will take you ashore, where you can hike among thousands of penguins, rock cormorants and great skuas. Visiting Patagonia between September and April? You’ll visit the equally extraordinary Marta Island to see its resident South American sea lions instead.

5. Sleep in a yurt

At SevenTravel we want to ensure you feel like you’re in Patagonia every single minute of your adventure. With that in mind, we handpick hotels that have an overwhelming sense of place and sustainable focus. In Buenos Aires you’ll bed down in a former 20^th-century townhouse, while EOLO – Patagonia’s Spirit is built on the very area where the first Creole and European immigrants set foot. Nothing is quite as unique as Patagonia Camp, where you’ll sleep in a Mongolian yurt on the banks on the vast Lake Toro. There, you’re only a stone’s throw from hiking, paddling or cruising your way around the epic mountains, glaciers and lakes of Torres del Paine National Park. It’s a remarkable end to your Patagonia adventure.

Keen to have your own once-in-a-lifetime Patagonia adventure? Get in touch with us today and we can create your own South American holiday, completely tailored to you.